


From Page One

by slash4femme



Category: Naruto
Genre: Books, Canonical Character Death, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Pre-Canon, Rin's death specifically, gai cheering kakashi up, i guess, kakagai week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 12:38:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13271619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slash4femme/pseuds/slash4femme
Summary: Gai is worried about Kakashi’s reading. Not that Gai has anything against reading. No, the issue isn’t Kakashi’s love of the written word, it’s the type of books he’s been reading lately.





	From Page One

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Kakagai Week Day Six the theme of which was 'free space' and decided to go with 'books'. 
> 
> This fic takes place soon after Shippuden episode 349 because Gai's horror at Kakashi's reading choices in that episode directly mirrors my own.

Gai is worried about Kakashi’s reading.

Not that Gai has anything against reading. His own apartment is full of numerous volumes on taijutsu. It’s always interesting and educational to expand his young mind by reading about different styles. Indeed the wisdom of the taijutsu masters who had penned these books never fails to strengthen his resolve to train even harder, push himself even further than before.

Truly as far as Gai is concerned reading a book on taijutsu is the perfect way to end any day.

No, the issue isn’t Kakashi’s love of the written word, it’s the type of books he’s been reading lately.

Gai had been to Kakashi’s apartment just the night before, talking with his rival and trying to coax him into a youthful, after-dinner training session. Although it seemed pretty obvious Kakashi was going to turn him down. Again.

There had been a small stack of books on the table where they’d been sitting. Gai had picked them up more to do something with his hand as he talked.

The first had been titled _How a Shinobi Should Die_ and seemed to be an adventure story about a team of shinobi that died while carrying out a dangerous yet important mission. It’s a fine and noble thing for a shinobi to give their life for their village Gai knew that. But surely Kakashi had experienced enough tragedy in real life without also having to read about it.

The next book had been a thriller about a serial killer stalking a village picking off one citizen after another. The third seemed to be about a young boy’s struggle to come to terms with the brutal murder of his entire clan.

Which was …

Gai had looked from the stack of books to Kakashi sitting listlessly on the other side of the table, staring at nothing, barely bothering to acknowledge Gai’s presence at all.

This couldn’t be healthy.

Everyone keeps telling Gai that Kakashi’s is fine, that Rin’s death hadn't affected him more than it would affect any shinobi. Gai though can’t help but think they're wrong.

Maybe he knows his rival better than most people or maybe they are only seeing what they want to see, but Kakashi is retreating, losing a little bit of himself every day.

Kakashi can make his own decisions about what he reads of course but these kinds of books can't be helping his overall mental state.

Gai would happily lend him as many books on taijutsu as Kakashi could want. He knows from experience though that although Kakashi takes the taijutsu books he doesn’t actually read them. Kakashi, unlike Gai, prefers novels and since Gai owns no youthful and invigorating fictional literature to lend Kakashi he will have to go out and find some.

~*~

Konoha has three booksellers. Gai goes to all three of them between his morning and afternoon training during the time he usually eats lunch.

After he’s gone through all books sold by the first bookseller Gai comes to the conclusion that it’s less that Kakashi is fixated on books about death and more that most of the booksellers in Konoha mainly sell really depressing literature.

By the time he’s gone through all the books at the second stall the only upbeat book he’s managed to find is 25 Exciting Radish Recipes. Gai is not at all sure Kakashi will be interested in 25 Exciting Radish Recipes. Although he’s considering buying it for himself since he can really only think of three exciting radish recipes and he was genuinely interested to see what the other twenty-two recipes are.

He sorts through the piles of books again hand lingering on a smaller volume. He picked it up and pages through it, eyebrows going up, but it isn’t about death and dying for once. So he takes it with the 25 Exciting Radish Recipes book to the seller and digs out his coin purse.

“I brought you a book,” Gai says when he visits Kakashi the next day.

Kakashi looks up at that although his eyes are blank and devoid of interest.

Gai pushes on, undeterred. “It is a story about a world-traveled woman who moves back to the village she grew up in to help run her parents’ onsen and reconnects with her childhood friend who has become a turnip farmer and together they celebrate their youthful … passion.” He presses the book into Kakashi’s hands.

Actually, the book is a love story and Gai heartily approves of this since love is one of the keystones of the youthful lifestyle just as much as duty and sacrifice.

Kakashi tends to react unpredictably and sometimes violently to the word love though so Gai tends to steer away from it.    

“Uh,” Kakashi says.

“I thought it might be a nice change.” Gai’s gaze goes to the stack of books still on the table.

Kakashi just continues to look at him, with that closed off expression that Gai hates.

“I hope you enjoy it.” Gai is starting to feel awkward about the book not to mention the entire situation but he forces that back. He has done a kind thing for a friend and should never feel embarrassed about it.  

He gives Kakashi an encouraging thumbs up instead.

Kakashi looks away without saying anything.

“Maybe.” Gai plows on. “Maybe rival, we can read it together. That's something we have never tried before.”

He takes the book back from Kakashi’s limp grasp and sits on the tatami next to Kakashi.

No more books about dying, Gai reminds himself. He resolutely opens the book to page one and starts to read.

His voice quavers a little bit at first but he builds confidence as he reads becoming more engrossed in the story.

He’s not sure if Kakashi is listening. Kakashi keeps his face tilted away from Gai staring down at the mat covered floor. His fingers clench and unclench on the leg of his pants.

He doesn’t tell Gai to stop though so Gai doesn’t, he just reads.

The book has many things Gai admires, a message of commitment to family, community and hard work. Main characters who persevere against all odds and above all youthful and passionate love.

Really the hero, Kaoru, is a good man, kind, patient, a dedicated turnip farmer. Gai can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to marry him.   

He reads until Kaoru and his love are ready to share their first kiss.

Then he wavers.

He’s not embarrassed he tells himself. Love is a beautiful thing. Kissing a wonderful way to share that love, if both partners are willing.

Still, his cheeks are hot and he stares down at the words on the page.

He’s very aware of Kakashi sitting next to him.

Of the space between them, which is not a lot actually.

Of Kakashi’s breathing, of the warmth and solidness of his body.

He’s also very aware that at some point Kakashi has stopped staring aimlessly at nothing and started looking very purposefully at Gai.

If he looks up now their gazes would meet.

Gai doesn’t look up.

He stares at the page until the words swim. He cleared his throat and then started reading again.

“It’s all right.” Kakashi says suddenly. “I can read the rest on my own.”

He reaches out for the book. At this point though Gai really does want to see how the story ends.

There’s a brief struggle, in which neither party utilizes any of their shinobi abilities.

Kakashi wins and Gai settles for reading along as he leans over Kakashi’s shoulder.

For a long moment neither of them breaths as they read the pertinent final passages.

Gai feels his heart swell, feels tears come to his eyes at such a beautiful flowering of love.

He’s also very aware of Kakashi’s body pressed against his, the curve of Kakashi’s neck so close to him, the way Kakashi’s soft hair curls around the top of his ear.

Gai pulls back.

Put’s a good, respectful, amount of distance between them as Kakashi closes the book.

“I …” Gai doesn’t really know what to say. For a moment he feels silly and small. He shouldn’t have brought this book to Kakashi. He shouldn’t have read it out loud. Kakashi is so cool and hip. So much cooler than Gai, it must have just embarrassed him.

“Well, now that we’ve experienced reading together we should get back to our usual challenges.” He reaches for the book but Kakashi’s hands curl around it.

“No!” He holds it away from Gai’s grasp. “I …” He stumbles, stops talking, gazing down at the book in his hands. “I liked it.”

The words are so soft for a moment Gai thinks he must have misheard.

Gai blinks “Really?”

“Yeah, I liked that no one died and I might want to read it again sometime.” Kakashi’s voice is still so low Gai barely hears him and he’s blushing. It’s, of course, kind of hard to tell with his mask in the way but Gai is pretty sure that’s a blush staining his rival’s cheeks.

“I …thought they were cute together.”

“Kakashi,” Gai says. His hand rising as if on its own accord, reaching out.

He’s so close to saying things he’d held back for so long.

His hand curls into a fist though, grasping at air and falls to his side. The words he wants to say stay lodged inside his chest. Instead, he says “Of course Kakashi I bought it for you.”

And hopes, at least for now, that’s enough.  


End file.
